Costs budgeting – seen as the lynchpin of the Jackson reforms – is due to come into effect for all cases issued from April this year. To assist and help firms to prepare for the budgeting process and to make their budgets as accurate as possible, Litigation Costs Services is introducing a fixed-price budgeting/analysis service. The firm will:-

Analyse a cross-section of historic files by type of case and produce a report setting out median costs per phase (per category/type) including draft assumptions and highlighting special features to be aware of and look out for;

Meet with firms to give general advice on areas where their files and recording systems can be improved to assist the budgeting process. This meeting can either be preceded or followed by a CPD accredited seminar on the Jackson reforms;

Provide a ‘Jackson advice helpline’ which firms can use to obtain advice on any aspect of the new rules and practice directions; and

Provide regular e-mail updates on the reforms, the way they are being implemented and any relevant case law.

The fixed fee will be calculated once the size and type of matters to be considered have been ascertained. But, by way of example, an analysis of six historic cases from three practice areas with average profit costs of up to £25,000 would cost £1,500 per month over six months (based on exporting the information from firms’ case management systems).

An analysis of six cases of only one type with similar average profit costs would be only £705 per month. Six cases with average profit costs of £45-50,000 would be £1,000 per month. The fee includes all of the additional services mentioned above.

The service will initially be available up to 30 September 2013 – i.e. six months from the proposed implementation of the reforms – although it may well be extended if implementation of some of the reforms is delayed. Although the file analysis will take place in the first four to six weeks, the cost of the service can be spread over a period of up to six months.

We believe this service will be of particular interest to SMEs who may not have the time and resources to undertake the necessary analysis in preparation for the new costs management process.

The ability to spread the cost of the service, together with ongoing support over the early months of implementation, should make it both affordable and cost effective. We are able to offer the service – which will be available from 1 March – based on our use of .

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